Former Trump campaign adviser sentenced in Russia probe

A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI in its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Papadopoulos, 31, who pleaded guilty last year and is the first person sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation, said, “I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption.” U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss called Papadopoulos’ deception “not a noble lie,” and said he did so in order not to jeopardize his chances of getting a job in the Trump administration. “In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self interest over the national interest,” Moss said.

It was Papadopoulos’ contacts with Russian intermediaries that triggered the FBI’s investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in July 2016, a probe that was later taken over by Mueller. Papadopoulos, in his role as foreign policy adviser to the campaign, hoped to use those contacts to broker a meeting between then-candidate Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He later admitted to lying to the FBI about those contacts, which, according to prosecutors, hindered the investigation. But Papadopoulos’ attorney, Thomas Breen, said prior to the sentencing, “The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos could have.” The president, who told reporters Friday that he didn’t know Papadopoulos, responded to the sentencing and the cost of Mueller’s probe by tweeting, “14 days for $28 MILLION—$2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!”

Papadopoulos also told CNN Friday that then-Sen. Jeff Sessions embraced the idea of Trump meeting with Putin during the campaign, which contradicts Sessions’ testimony before Congress.

In addition to the 14 days in jail, Moss sentenced Papadopoulos to one year of supervised release and 200 hours of community service and fined him $9,500. Prosecutors had sought the maximum six-month sentence, while the defense had asked for only probation.